Novel lignin-based extracellular barrier in glandular trichome
Plant Science Research WeeklyThis is a fascinating story by Hao et al., which takes us from phenotype to novel insights by looking at glandular trichomes in cucumber. Cucumber fruits often have a silica-based white powder deposited on their surface, but this is missing from the yellow green peel (ygp) mutant. Staining shows that…
A dirigent protein complex directs lignin polymerization and assembly of the root diffusion barrier
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn Latin, dirigere means “to align or guide”, so in 1997 when a protein was identified that guides the stereoselectivity of another enzyme it was named as a dirigent protein. Subsequent studies found that the Arabidopsis genome encodes 25 dirigent proteins (DPs). In this new work, Gao et al. characterized…
Lignin chemistry is fine-tuned on the nanoscale by different combinations of LACCASES
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellBlaschek et al. explore the spatial control of lignin chemistry.
Leonard Blaschek1 and Edouard Pesquet1,2,3
1 Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
2 Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC), Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå…
Single-residue substitution in histone H3 leads to over-lignification in Arabidopsis
Plant Science Research WeeklyChromatin changes are at the core of plant development and adaptation, as they constitute a crucial layer of gene expression control. The effects of different chromatin marks have historically been studied through mutations to the protein complexes depositing and removing the marks, which results in…
Specific lignin chemistries tune the hydraulic and biomechanical properties of each plant sap conduction pipe to resist/recover from drought
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellMénard et al. examine the properties of lignin in the plant vasculature.
Delphine Ménard1,2 and Edouard Pesquet1,2,3
1 Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
2 Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC), Department of Plant Physiology,…